Britain’s First Lady of the Trumpet passes away in Chichester

Virtuoso musician Joan Hinde died yesterday, January 22, aged 81, at a nursing home in the city.

She and her husband lived in Felpham for decades. Mrs Hinde delighted many groups in the area over the years with her trumpet playing.

She also entertained the audiences with tales of working with some of the biggest names in showbusiness. Comedian Ken Dodd, with whom she appeared many times, was among them. Max Bygraves and Sir Harry Secombe were others.

She was thought to be the UK’s oldest working female trumpeter until her retirement from the stage because of ill health in 2012.

Born in Derbyshire, her showbusiness career began when she was a young child in the early 1940s on the BBC radio programme, Children’s Hour.

Joan soon progressed to regular appearances on BBC Variety Bandbox and forged a top reputation on the stage at a time when television was becoming dominant.

Her entire career was spent as a radio, theatre and cabaret artiste.

A full tribute to Joan Hinde will appear in the Bognor Regis Observer on January 29.